The Music Box Steps

The site of a classic series of Laurel and Hardy pratfalls.

Left:
The Music Box Steps today. Amy Goodman on Flickr (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/)Right:
The plaque installed in the first step. Roy Randall on Flickr (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

The plaque installed in the first step. Roy Randall on Flickr (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/)

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This simple set of municipal steps attracts thousands of Hollywood history buffs looking to experience one of the most iconic set pieces of the classic Hollywood era.

Famous silent-film comedy duo Laurel and Hardy created what was arguably their most iconic work with the 1932 talking film The Music Box. The slapstick short’s most memorable scene is a string of gags involving the duo attempting to move a massive piano up a long flight of stairs. They are not good at it. This set of steps still exists in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles, and to this day is commemorated by both a marble plaque explaining the location’s significance and a street sign marking the site. Locals and tourists alike can visit the public walkway, although they are advised to leave their pianos at home.

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